Chapter 3 – 'Friday night dinner…and dessert'

Both Christopher and Lorelei were feeling huge amounts of stress and anger when leaving the elder Gilmore residence. It all started in the car ride there…

There was an awkward silence as Lorelei kept her eyes on the road and her thoughts to the previous ones she had earlier.

Christopher cleared his throat.

"So how are Richard and Emily?'

"Oh, they're good"

Another silence.

"I spoke to Rory today"

"Really, how is she?"

"She's okay. Misses me"

"Ah I see your brainwashing skills have finally paid off"

Lorelei grinned,

"Rory loves her mamma through natural causes" she said

Christopher pretended to laugh mockingly

'Hey, I'm perfectly likeable I'll have you know!' Lorelei said as she playfully hit his arm

"Don't I know it"

Lorelei looked at him

'Anyway she said she's sorry she's gonna miss you'

'Yeah. It's a shame she can't be here, she could have saved us from the 20 question session with Emily Gilmore when she finds her favorite granddaughter won't be there'

'Well then, she'll just have to do with her favorite daughter then. And since she doesn't exist, I will step in her place"

Christopher frowned

'You know, you really put yourself down when it comes to your parents"

'Chris come on. If I don't do some, then they get all the glory. And that's not fair"

'Lorelei-'

'No. Chris you should know by now that my life is a major disappointment to them"

"Stop it you're not a disappointment"

"But-'

'No. Sure they were a little shocked by the path you took, but that gives them no reason to be ashamed of you. You're their daughter"

Lorelei sighed.

'All these years and you still don't get it'

'What?'

"Christopher. My parents are socialites, they go to social events and have social friends. And they have worked hard to get that. Now my coming out party was supposed to be this one big happy day for them, but I decided to drop a great big bombshell on them. After that day my parents worked hard on keeping my pregnancy a secret, but by then it was too late. They took me out of school and had to answer questions their friends shot at them. Emily couldn't take it all in, you remember last year when you came? Your parents and mine happily reminiscing over the two of us. That night I went into my dad's den and thanked him for defending me. He told me it wasn't for me. For him. He told me my mother couldn't get out of bed for a month because of what I did! I felt so guilty and saw then, how much I had hurt him.

So I'm sorry chris, they couldn't possibly have a single cell in their bodies that could be proud of me"

As Lorelei said all this, Christopher looked at her the whole time

'Lor. They have got SO much to be proud of. I mean look at what you've accomplished!'

'Yeah. Gotten pregnant at 16, dropped out of school, ran away from marriage and family, got a job as a maid, brought my kid up in a shed-'

'A kid who is now studying journalism at Harvard'

Lorelei kept her eyes in front of her

'You cant have done that bad if you managed to raise the most smartest and beautiful and kind hearted girl there is. A girl who looks up to you and loves you and shares everything with you. You must've done something right"

'Really?'

Lorelei looked at Chris and he saw there were tears in her eyes.

'Really. And who cares what your folks say and think. You have a great life, great friends, weird neighbours and a really amazing kid. Who by the way, if you hadn't made that one mistake, wouldn't even be here"

Lorelei was quiet for a while.

'You know I sometimes think about that. If I didn't have Rory, and what my life would've been like" She giggled, ' I'd probably ended up like my mother" she was laughing full on now. The tears turning into those of laughter.

"Oh my god! I can see it now, Lorelei Gilmore has tea to discuss trips to Europe and DAR"

'Oh god can you imagine?' Lorelei laughed

'Oh we're here'

'Oh and just when I was feeling happy"

Lorelei pulled up to the house and stopped the engine.

'You know, with the amount of time you spent at this house, I'm not at all surprised you remember what it looks like' Lorelei quipped whilst getting out of the car.

'Shhh" grinned Christopher

Lorelei rang the doorbell

The next thing they saw was Emily Gilmore standing in the doorway, her usual expression.

'Where have you been? It's almost 8:05!'

'Well good morning to you too sunshine" Lorelei deadpanned

'Christopher! How nice to see you again!' Emily smiled

'Wow look who's playing favorites'

Christopher ignored Lorelei's comment and continued to greet Emily.

'Good evening Emily, my you look lovely this evening'

'Oh stop" Emily blushed

'Please' added Lorelei

Chris and Lorelei continued this banter all through drinks and halfway during dinner Lorelei noticed her mother was smiling.

'Something wrong mom?'

"Why would something be wrong Lorelei?'

'Because you wouldn't be sitting there smiling like the Cheshire cat that got the cream"

'Are you assuming that there has to be something wrong for me to smile?'

'In this situation, yes'

'If you must know I was smiling at you and Christopher'

'Huh?'

'You two bickering over the smallest things, it reminds me of myself and your father'

'Oops'

'The things we used to fight about, oh like that one time when he bought a ridiculously overpriced golf bag'

Lorelei looked over at Chris and saw him shake his head, as if telling her to stay calm.

'So. How long will you be staying this time Christopher?'

'That's it'

Lorelei threw her napkin on the table and walked out of the room.

'It was just a question' said Emily

'I'll go talk to her' said Christopher getting up

Christopher went upstairs and opened the door to where Lorelei would be. He walked into a room filled with porcelain dolls and dollhouses – everything you would find in a girls room, music, posters and others. He looked around the room and remembered the first time he set foot inside it. He was 8 and Lorelei had just had a birthday party, which had ended badly, of course. He found her sitting on her bed listening to Candi Staton's "young hearts, run free"

He didn't say a word, just climbed up there next to her and held her in his arms. It was at that moment that he knew he would do anything to make his friend happy.

'Hey' he found her on the balcony, their place.

'Hey yourself'

She had been crying, not tears of sadness, anger: Angry that her mother couldn't last one lousy dinner without bringing up her and Christopher. She didn't need it, not now.

'Quite an exit you made there'

'Well you know me, I love a bit of drama'

Christopher sat down next to Lorelei facing the outdoors.

'I'm sorry. I just got so angry and-'

'Hey. It's okay. I agree with what Emily was doing was wrong, but you shouldn't get yourself worked up. I could sense from the table that you were ready to pop her one" he grinned

'Yeah, lucky she didn't see it coming'

They sat together in silence, both of them looking out at the view.

'Hey, you do realize that this has been the 2nd Friday night dinner we've ended up out here?' said Lorelei

'Yeah, and look what happened the first time'

Lorelei giggled

'Yeah'

Silence

'Well, since we know dinner was a bust, how's about we go get some dessert'

'Dirty!' Lorelei giggled

Chris rolled his eyes

'I'm afraid we might have to use the front door Lorelei'

She was just about to climb over the balcony.

'Ah jeez'

…'why have him when I can spend time with his feisty little sidekick'

'Yeah batman got some real ego issues'

Chris and Lorelei laughed

They pulled up to a quiet little café in the middle of Hartford and went inside.

'Oh god not this again' Lorelei moaned as they headed for a wooden podium with a sigh telling them they had to wait to be seated.

'I'm hungry'

'Well then lets go someplace else'

'No, no, here's fine'

they waited a few more minutes until they saw a pretty redhead walking towards them.

'Good evening. I'm charlotte and I'll be you server this evening. If you'll just follow me please'

'I changed my mind, let's go'

'Lor'

She led them to a quiet booth at the back of the café and handed them orders.

'If you'll just take your seats, I'll be back shortly to take your orders'

Lorelei stared at the girl as she walked away.

'Nice girl' she said

'Yeah, friendly'

'Very'

Christopher looked over at Lorelei

'Lor?'

'Yes Christopher' replied a nonchalant Lorelei

'Jealous?'

'Wha? Me? Noooo' Lorelei continued to look at he menu

'Lorelei' Christopher grinned

'Okay, maybe a little. But I mean she could have been a tad more professional'

'How big's a tad?'

'Oh nevermind'

'Come on all she was doing was her job'

'Whilst thinking things. Chris, I'm a woman, she's a woman. I saw her face, she made the face'

'What face?'

'This one' Lorelei straightened up and looked at Christopher in his eyes

'Dirty!'

'Exactly'

'Christopher laughed

'Oh Lor, you know you're my only girl'

'Wow Buddy, maybe one day you might let me wear you pin!' Lorelei mocked with a thick Texan accent

'Just pick your dessert'

She smiled

The redhead came back, ready to take their orders

'Okay I'll have the cherry pie with 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream and cinnamon sauce' said Lorelei

The waitress looked at her

'Aren't you gonna order dinner first?'

'Hmm I see you didn't write down my order'

'I know it by heart'

'Then what's with the pen and the pad?'

'Appearance' the waitress whispered

Christopher laughed

'You know, I'll have the same thanks'

They gave back their menu's and she walked away

Lorelei looked at her

'Looks like she'll want to marry you next'

'Lor-'

'With her pretend pen and pretend pad and red hair and fake-'

'Stop please'